Continuing the success of the Australian event the Global event will be launched from the 16th to 26th July, 2010. This will bring together celebrated chefs from over 12 countries.

The overall objective of the Chefs & The Teamaker is to partner with a reference chef who would be considered thereafter “tea champion” amongst the culinary community in your respective country and to educate that chef on tea, the opportunity to integrate tea into food and beverage as part of casual or fine dining occasions and also to build in that individual an ambassador for Dilmah tea.

The methodology is that once the chef has been selected, he/ she will receive a  Chefs & The Teamaker 2010 kit, consisting of certain training material plus 25 teas. We would like the chef to taste each of these 25 teas ideally with  your assistance and involvement. Thereafter we require the chef to utilise selected teas, consisting of a minimum of one each from four categories which will be defined shortly, in producing several recipes.  The recipes are.

A hot beverage consisting of tea with or without traditional, natural ingredients such as herbs, spices. This and other dishes could be influenced by the traditional cuisine in order to offer an innovative recipe that combines the local tradition with respect for tea and the delicate personality of different teas whilst offering the guests a special tea experience that is pleasing on the eye, on the nose, on the palate.

Secondly a chilled tea beverage also consisting of tea, infused with certain natural ingredients whilst respecting the personality of the selected tea.

A High Tea plate consisting of at least two items, one savoury, one sweet which would either offer a harmonious flavour pairing with a specific tea or offer tea as an ingredient. For example poached salmon paired with Sencha, Japanese style green tea and as a sweet option shortcake or cookies made with Earl Grey tea. These are examples only.

Finally the chef is required to prepare a four course menu consisting of a warm starter, a soup or sorbet, entrée/main course and desert. Tea inspired petit fours are optional although could attract additional merit if they contribute to the overall culinary or tea experience.

The selected chefs are required to design the menu and recipes in advance of their visit to Sri Lanka. They will be required to present their tea inspired menu, beverages and High Tea items whilst they are in Sri Lanka.

The programme will commence on the 16th of July, where the chefs will embark on a culinary adventure which will take them on a journey of tea where they will learn all about tea, visit tea estates and other MJF Foundation and Dilmah venues for immersion training in tea and a familiarization of the concept of business as a matter of human service.

On the 26th of July the chefs will present their four course menu at the opening of the Dilmah Global Distributor Conference 2010. This event will also be a charity fundraising event with our Dilmah distributors, MJF Charitable Foundation well wishers, the Culinary Guild of Sri Lanka and VIP guests. This will be the grand finale of the programme.

The Programme

The programme will cover adventure trails including participation at key MJF Charitable Foundation and Dilmah Conservation projects which will be designed to include the chefs’ maximum participation and give them adequate exposure. The culinary adventure will cover the following locations in Sri Lanka.

Whilst on the adventure around Sri Lanka, the chefs will need to combine the natural ingredients, styles and serving methods as well as teas that they encounter, to produce a food or beverage that would be their pièce de résistance and which would be offered on the final night in Sri Lanka at the Gala Charity Dinner at which Dilmah Partners will be present – 26th July 2010.

It is important to explain that the objective of the exercise is not only a test of their culinary skills but intended also to inspire understanding, appreciation and accommodation of tea in their culinary skills. It is also to foster interest in tea that each chef could develop when they return home.

We would like the chefs to appear at a maximum of three Dilmah sponsored culinary events where they will present their tea inspired menu and Sri Lanka inspired food or beverage. As the entire programme will be covered by a professional video crew and photographer we would also like the chefs to participate in a Dilmah consumer communication campaign.

This campaign includes full page advertisements in prestigious culinary magazines, videos used on our websites such as the Dilmah Exceptional site, features on cable TV and in some instances, national TV in several countries. The programme will be broadcast in several countries with all the chefs given prominence online, on culinary blogs, various culinary media, both international and national.

The project is quite unique and given the combination of nationalities, our experience is that upscale gourmet magazines and TV/radio programmes are quite interested in having exclusive access to the material. After they run the material, of course the content can be distributed more widely and on the internet.

The result therefore is the experience, exposure and recognition the chefs will gain through this entire programme and subsequent campaign. We are certain that this will immensely benefit their careers as much as it would their personal lives. Please refer the Chefs & the Teamaker print campaign included in this presentation to see how the Australian Chefs who participated in the 2008 programme benefited from this unique project.

Click here to find out more about Chefs and the Teamaker 2010.